AU2018100279A4

AU2018100279A4 - Holder arrangement for an edible gift

Info

Publication number: AU2018100279A4
Application number: AU2018100279A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Nicholas Boyle
Original assignee: Tastebuds Of Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Tastebuds Of Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2017-07-07
Filing date: 2018-03-02
Publication date: 2018-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 2026-03-02
Also published as: AU2018100279B4

Abstract

A holder for holding a food element. The holder comprises a body having a bore provided therein or adjacent thereto. A connector assembly is mounted with respect to the body for receiving and holding the food element therein. The bore is configured to receive an end of an elongate member such that the food element is mounted on said end of said elongate member.

Description

HOLDER ARRANGEMENT FOR AN EDIBLE GIFT FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a holder arrangement for use in the display and arrangement of edible treats in a gift pack, and in particular, to a holder arrangement for the presentation of chocolates in a display, such as a bouquet or similar presentation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Chocolates and other such edible treats have long been used as gifts and presents to celebrate a variety of different events ranging from birthdays to get-well and thank-you instances. The general purpose of such a gift is to provide a treat that can be enjoyed by the recipient in their own to as a memento of the occasion in which they were presented.

Another popular form of gift to present to individuals to celebrate events or say thank you or good-luck, is a floral arrangement or bouquet of flowers. Such a present or gift is based more on the beauty of the presentation of flowers such that the recipient can be cheered up by the visual display and use that as a memento of a special occasion. Such a floral gift is significantly more aesthetically pleasing than a box of chocolates or the like, and can be put on public display.

In recent times, it has been possible to combine both styles of gifts such that chocolates and other such edible treats can be presented in much the same way as a floral arrangement. In such situations, the gift not only becomes an edible treat, but a visual display as well. In this regard, individual chocolates are typically placed on the end of a skewer and arranged with wrapping and other decorations to resemble a posy of flowers or a box of flowers or the like.

Whilst such gifts have proven popular in celebrating a variety of different occasions, the act of skewering a chocolate can damage the chocolate and/or significantly compromise the freshness and edibility of the chocolates. In some instances penetration of the chocolates may cause contamination of the chocolates which could pose a significant health risk to the consumer. Thus, there is need to provide an alternative means for mounting chocolates on a skewer or rod that enables the chocolates to be arranged in a variety of different configurations, such as a floral configuration, but which avoids such contamination problems and which retains the visual qualities of such a display.

The above references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the above prior art discussion does not relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification of pertinent prior art proposals is but one part.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

The invention according to one or more aspects is as defined in the independent claims. Some optional and/or preferred features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Accordingly, in another aspect of the invention there is provided a holder for holding a food element, the holder comprising: a body having a bore provided therein or adjacent thereto; and a connector assembly mounted with respect to the body for receiving and holding the food element therein; wherein the bore is configured to receive an end of an elongate member such that the food element is mounted on said end of a elongate member.

In one embodiment, the connector assembly may comprise at least three arms extending from said body to form a space into which the food element is received.

At least one of said arms may be resiliently flexible with respect to said body such that said at least one arm is movable to open said space to receive the food element therein with the food element being retained within the space by the resilient nature of said at least one arm.

Each of the at least three arms may be flexibly resilient and are movable with respect to said body to open said space to receive the individual food element therein.

In another embodiment only one of the three arms are flexibly resilient and are movable to open said claw to receive the individual food element therein.

Accordingly, in yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a holder for holding a food element for display as part of a gift presentation comprising: a body having a central bore provided in an under surface thereof; and a connector mounted on the body for receiving and holding the food element thereon; wherein the central bore is configured to receive an end of an elongate member such that the individual food element is mounted on said end of a elongate member.

In one form of the invention, the connector may comprises at least three arms extending from said body to form an open claw into which the food element is received.

At least one of said arms may be resiliently flexible with respect to said body such that said at least one arm is movable to open said claw to receive the food element therein with the food element being retained within the claw by the resilient nature of said arm. In one embodiment of the invention, each of the three arms are flexibly resilient and are movable to open said claw to receive the individual food element therein. In another embodiment of the invention only one of the three arms are flexibly resilient and are movable to open said claw to receive the individual food element therein.

In another form, the connector may be an adhesive mounted to a surface of the body.

Accordingly, in another aspect of the invention there is provided a combination of food elements arranged in a presentation wherein each food element is mounted on a holder in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which:

Fig. 1 is a depiction of an embodiment of a chocolate bouquet for forming with the present invention;

Figs. 2A - 2C show perspective side and top views of an embodiment of a holder member in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 shows a bottom view of the holder member of Figs. 2A - 2C;

Figs. 4A - 4C show top, side and perspective views of the holder member of Figs. 2A - 2C in use to hold a spherical chocolate in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 5A - 5C show perspective, side and top views of the holder member of Figs. 2A - 2C in use to hold a ball and cup shaped chocolate in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 6A - 6C show perspective, side and top views of the holder member of Figs. 2A - 2C in use to hold a Baci-type chocolate accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 7A - 7D show perspective, side, top, and side views of a second embodiment of a holder member in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 8A - 8D show perspective, side, top, and side views of the holder member of Figs. 7A - 7D in use to hold a heart shaped chocolate in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 9A - 9D show perspective, side, top, and side views of the holder member of Figs. 7A - 7D in use to hold a star shaped chocolate in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 10 shows a front perspective view of a holder member in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 11 shows a rear perspective view of the holder member of Fig. 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention.

The present invention will be described below in relation to the arrangement and presentation of chocolates as a chocolate bouquet. However, it will be appreciated that the present invention may be used to hold a variety of different types of edible and non-edible elements in a variety of different display configurations as will be appreciated by this skilled in the art.

Referring to Fig. 1, a chocolate bouquet 5 is shown. As can be seen, a chocolate bouquet 5 closely resembles a floral bouquet with the exception that rather than flowers being arranged in a bunch or posy, individual chocolates 8 are used. In the embodiment as shown in Fig. 1, the individual chocolates 8 comprise heart-shaped chocolates and ball-shaped chocolates, although other shapes are also envisaged. Whilst not specifically shown, each of the chocolates are mounted on a stem, such as a wooden stick, and the stems are grouped together and wrapped in much that same way as rose stems are grouped and wrapped in a posy. Crepe paper and the like may be used to further decorate the bouquet 5, together with ribbons and the like to create the desired effect as depicted.

As previously discussed, prior art attempts at forming a chocolate bouquet have used skewers to penetrate the chocolate to hold it in position. As this is undesirable and reduces the integrity of the chocolate, the present invention employs a dedicated holder member 10 to grip and present the chocolate for display.

One embodiment of holder member 10 of the present invention is depicted in Figs. 2A - 2C and Fig. 3. The holder member 10 generally comprises a central core or body 12 having a central bore 13 formed in a bottom surface thereof. The central bore 13 has a plurality of restrictors 13a provided therein which restrict the bore opening and provide a means for engaging an end of a stick or skewer inserted into the bore 13. In this regard, through the construction of the holder member 10, the chocolate is mounted on the end of the stick or skewer by way of the holder member 10 rather than the stick or skewer penetrating the chocolate.

The holder member 10 has three arms 14, 15 and 16 that are each equi-spaced about the body 12 and extending in an upward direction with respect to the body 12. Each of the arms 14, 15 and 16 are substantially identical in configuration and initially project from the body 12 in an upward and outward direction. A U-shaped bend 14a, 15a and 16a is provided in a mid-point of each of the arms such that each arm extends from the U-shaped bend in an inward and upward manner to terminate at distal ends 14b, 15b, 16b.

It will be appreciated that the arms 14, 15, 16 function as a three prong claw for receiving and holding a chocolate therein. The width of the middle region of the claw being substantially wider than the opening of the claw, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2C. Each of the arms are made from a flexibly resilient material, such as plastic, and provide a means for opening the claw to place a chocolate inside, as will be appreciated in more detail below.

Figs 4A - 4C depict the holder member 10 being used to hold a chocolate having a substantially spherical shape. Due to the symmetrical nature of the chocolate together with the symmetrical nature of the claw formed by the arms 14, 15, 16, the chocolate is able to be positioned within the space formed by the arms with the distal ends 14b, 15b, 16b, gripping the surface of the chocolate to securely retain the spherical chocolate. To position the chocolate within the claw, one or more of the arms 14, 15, 16 flex in an outward manner to allow the chocolate to be received in the wide central portion of the claw. A rod can then be inserted into the bore 13 of the holder member 10 to construct a chocolate bouquet 5 in the manner as depicted in Fig.l.

Figs. 5A - 5C depict the holder member 10 being used to hold a chocolate having a ball in a cup configuration, such as those chocolates supplied by manufacturer, Ferrero Rocher. This chocolate has a substantially circular base portion such that each of the arms 14, 15 and 16 can be extended so as to receive the base of the cup portion of the chocolate as shown. The distal ends 14b, 15b and 16b of the holder member are sufficiently resiliently flexible so as to apply a gripping force to the cup portion of the chocolate, such that the chocolate is able to be presented in a chocolate bouquet in the manner as depicted.

Figs. 6A - 6C depict the holder member 10 being used to hold a chocolate having a shape typical of a Baci -style chocolate. As this chocolate also has a substantially circular base portion, each of the arms 14, 15 and 16 can be flexed open to receive the base of the chocolate as shown. The distal ends 14b, 15b and 16b of the holder member are sufficiently resiliently flexible so as to apply a gripping force to the side walls of the chocolate, such that the chocolate is able to be presented in a chocolate bouquet in the manner as depicted.

It will be appreciated that as holder member 10 is made from a resiliently flexible plastic material such that each of the arms 14, 15, and 16 can be flexed in an outward manner to grip and hold a chocolate having a substantially cylindrical or spherical base shape. However, for chocolates having non-cylindrical or non-spherical shapes, such as heart shaped chocolates or star shaped chocolates, a holder member 20 as depicted in Figures 7A - 7D will be used.

In this embodiment, the holder member 20 has a configuration similar to holder member 10 and generally comprises a central core or body 22 having a central bore (not shown) formed in a bottom surface thereof. The central bore may also have a plurality of restrictors provided therein which restrict the bore opening and provide a means for engaging an end of a stick or skewer inserted into the bore. In this regard, through the construction of the holder member 20, the chocolate is mounted on the end of the stick or skewer by way of the holder member 20 rather than the stick or skewer penetrating the chocolate.

The holder member 20 has three arms 24, 25 and 26 that are each equi-spaced about the body 22. Arms 24 and 25 are substantially identical in configuration and have a first portion 24a and 25a that extends initially in a radially outward direction with respect to the body 22. Each of the arms 24 and 25 then comprise a second portion 24b and 25b that extends extending substantially orthogonal to the first portion 24a and 25a, the second portions 24b and 25b being inclined slightly inwards as shown. The third arm 26 also has a first portion 26a that extends initially in a radially outward direction as shown most clearly in Fig. 7D. A U-shaped bend 26b is provided at the end of the first portion 26a such that the second portion 26c of the third arm 26 extends inwardly and in an upward direction with respect to the first portion to terminate at distal ends 26c. It is the arm 26 that is substantially resiliently flexible and which can be bent or otherwise manoeuvred to open the claw member to receive the chocolate, in a manner to be described in more detail below.

Referring to Figs. 8A - 8D, the holder member 20 is depicted in use for mounting a heart shaped chocolate. Initially, the pointed end of the heart-shade chocolate is positioned between the arms 24 and 25 and slid as forward as possible. The third arm 26 is then flexed in an outward manner to ensure that is located behind the rear portion of the heart shaped chocolate. Due to the resilient nature of arm 26, it will then apply a force to the rear of the chocolate, urging the chocolate into engagement between each of the arms 24, 25, 26. The heart shaped chocolate can then be placed on the end of a rod or skewer and arranged in a formation to create the chocolate bouquet.

Referring to Figs. 9A - 9D, the holder member 20 is depicted in use for mounting a star shaped chocolate. Initially, the pointed end of the star-shade chocolate is positioned such that the arms 24 and 25 are located between two points of the star and slid as forward as possible. The third arm 26 is then flexed in an outward manner to ensure that is located behind the rear portion of the star shaped chocolate. Due to the resilient nature of arm 26, it will then apply a force to the rear of the chocolate, urging the chocolate into engagement between each of the arms 24, 25, 26. The star shaped chocolate can then be placed on the end of a rod or skewer and arranged in a formation to create the chocolate bouquet.

An alternative embodiment of a holder member 30 of the present invention is depicted in Figs. 10 and 11.

In this embodiment, the holder member 30 has a substantially rectangular body 34 having a flat, planar face 32 upon which the chocolate 31 is to be mounted as is shown in Fig. 11. The face 32 is provided with an adhesive 33 on the surface thereof, which bonds with a planar surface of the wrapping of the chocolate 31. In this instance, in order to maximise adhesive contact between the face 32 and the chocolate 31, the chocolate has at least one planar surface which can be placed against the face 32.

The rear surface of the body 34 has a mounting portion 35 extending therefrom. The mounting portion 35 has a bore (not shown) formed in an undersurface thereof for snugly and securely engaging with a rod or skewer 36, in the manner as previously described in relation to holder member 10 and 20. In this way, the holder member 30 can be mounted on the end of a skewer or rod and the chocolate 31 can be affixed to the surface of the holder member 30 without requiring penetration of the chocolate 31.

It will be appreciated that the holder member 10, 20, and 30 of the present invention provides a convenient and simple means by which chocolates, or other edible treats, can be simply captured and presented for use as a decorative gift feature. The holder member is able to be mounted on the end of an elongate stem or rod to handle and arrange in bunches like a flower, which can then be decorated into a combined arrangement. Such a mounting mechanism is able to deal with a variety of different shaped chocolates without having to penetrate the chocolates with a skewer or the like and compromise the integrity of the chocolates and contaminate the chocolates and pose a health risk to the consumer. Such holder members may be reusable or disposed of after use.

Throughout the specification and claims the word “comprise” and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word “comprise” and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

Orientational terms used in the specification and claims such as vertical, horizontal, top, bottom, upper and lower are to be interpreted as relational and are based on the premise that the component, item, article, apparatus, device or instrument will usually be considered in a particular orientation, typically with the holder member uppermost.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A holder for holding a food element, comprising: a body having a bore provided therein or adjacent thereto; and a connector assembly mounted with respect to the body for receiving and holding the food element therein; wherein the bore is configured to receive an end of an elongate member such that the food element is mounted on said end of a elongate member.
2. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the connector assembly comprises at least three arms extending from said body to form a space into which the food element is received.
3. A holder according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said arms is resiliently flexible with respect to said body such that said at least one arm is movable to open said space to receive the food element therein with the food element being retained within the space by the resilient nature of said at least one arm.
4. A holder according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least three arms are flexibly resilient and are movable with respect to said body to open said space to receive the individual food element therein.
5. A holder according to claim 1, wherein only one of the three arms are flexibly resilient and are movable to open said claw to receive the individual food element therein.